Packers-Vikings Monday postgame chat with Ryan Wood

Nov. 26 transcript.

Hey, Packers fans. Welcome to our postgame live chat. The Packers have dropped four of five, and while last night's loss in Minnesota didn't technically eliminate them from the playoffs, their season needs a minor miracle to have any relevancy the rest of the way. So I'm sure you have plenty of questions. Let's get to them.

I think if (when?) the head coaching job becomes vacant, the Packers need to fill it with an offensive coach, and it's probably preferable to go with a young visionary type over someone with coaching experience. The NFL game is going where its talent base has come from, which is college. So I wouldn't rule out a college head coach. But it's really hard to know what Mark Murphy and/or Brian Gutekunst will do. First question for me is who would make the hire, Murphy or Gutekunst. Lots to unpack in the coming weeks.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:36:11 PM

In the end, didn't it come down to injuries? Consider what it looks like if we have Mike Daniels and they lose Danielle Hunter, and if we have Kevin King and they don't have Harrison Smith. A whole different ballgame.

by voelzjames11/26/2018 8:36:30 PM

I think it came down to a quarterback the Packers need to play close to perfect playing much below that level. Look, there are a ton of things going wrong when a team falls to 4-6-1 and loses four in a five-game stretch. But this is a QB league. When the QB plays well, the team wins. When he doesn't, it loses. Pretty simple.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:37:20 PM

Any obvious reason for so few MVS snaps and targets?\

by JOHN BUBNICK11/26/2018 8:37:38 PM

He played 44 snaps (83 percent) last night, so it's not like he was taken off the field. I think you've seen opposing defenses adjust to him, as you knew they would after he had a couple big games. Now, EQ St. Brown is getting more of that soft treatment, and Rodgers is going to him (five targets vs. 2 for MVS). I imagine MVS will bounce back when he learns how to adjust to more attention. He's too good not to.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:39:31 PM

What causes the change from what we did in quarter one and rest of game in each of last four games same thing

by Bob11/26/2018 8:39:43 PM

Yeah, it's been the same script each week. That's among the most frustrating parts of this slide. The Packers have gotten early leads, can't hold it. They've given themselves a chance to win in the second half on the road against good teams, but they don't seize it.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:40:49 PM

Need to hire Texas Tech coach as offensive coordinator

by Bob11/26/2018 8:40:51 PM

I'm not an evaluator or executive, and I honestly haven't asked around on head coaching candidates yet. But I'd probably give Kliff Kingsbury a look. The thing is, if the Packers go that route, having a strong defensive coordinator will be important. So I think keeping Mike Pettine is vital.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:42:05 PM

What happens if McCarthy wins out and we don’t make the playoffs?

by Rabbi J Hubbard11/26/2018 8:42:22 PM

I think not making the playoffs would be a nonstarter for him returning. The thing is, there's four things they can do at the end of the year: extend McCarthy multiple years, extend him one year, have him return and not extend him, or fire him. They're not going to have him return as a lame duck, and a one-year extension effectively makes him a lame duck also. If they miss the playoffs for a second straight year, I don't see the justification for a multiple-year extension. That leaves you with termination.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:43:48 PM

with potential new HC hate to lose Mike P DC- can Gute and or MM request he stay on?

by with potential new HC hate to lose Mike P DC11/26/2018 8:44:29 PM

Mike Pettine is under contract with the Packers next season, so that's very possible.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:44:43 PM

Playing offense in the NFL has never been easier, unless you’re Aaron rodgers.

by Andy11/26/2018 8:45:10 PM

He's just got to get on schedule. That's probably the surest way to eliminate the missed throws. We've seen this from him before. Practically the entire 2015 season was like this. It's not so much the scheme and play calling that's wrong with the offense. The entire timing is off, and that starts with the quarterback.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:46:06 PM

Any chance of BJ Raji coming out of retirement?

by Rabbi J Hubbard11/26/2018 8:46:11 PM

Wow, I'm really stunned this is still getting asked. It's been almost three full seasons. Think that ship has sailed.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:46:55 PM

MMQB article this morning states that Mike McCarthy has tried to be creative the past couple of months, but that there's another problem hampering the offense: Aaron Rodgers' execution is inconsistent.

by Pat Kelly11/26/2018 8:47:12 PM

I read Andy Benoit's article. I think he's spot on.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:47:31 PM

Here's the thing to keep in mind too: if the Packers fire Mike McCarthy, that doesn't mean he's a bad coach. Mike McCarthy is actually a very good coach. I know that's hard for some Packers fans to imagine, but you don't win as much as the Packers have with McCarthy without him being a good coach. And if all that winning is only about Aaron Rodgers, then why aren't he Packers winning now? It's a QB league, yes, but it's also a coach's game. Sometimes, good coaches get fired because there needs to be a change. Same thing happened to Andy Reid in Philly. Andy Reid is doing just fine in Kansas City. I'd fully expect Mike McCarthy to find another job if the Packers do fire him, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he won with another team.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:49:55 PM

Did you read the Andy Benoit SI piece on Mike McCarthy? What do you make of the idea that MM is way more "innovative" than the narrative would have you believe?

by Mark11/26/2018 8:50:05 PM

One of the best compliments I've heard about McCarthy as an offensive coach is the flexibility in his offensive scheme. Personnel guys love it, because it gives them a larger net when evaluating talent. It's also important because injuries are a fact of life in the NFL, and McCarthy has been a master over the years of adjusting to whatever attrition his team faces. As Benoit points out in his article, McCarthy has done that again this season with the receiver position. They're playing two rookie receivers all the time; clearly they don't have the same demands as Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison. That MVS and EQ have been so successful this early is a testament to Aaron Rodgers, but also Mike McCarthy for creating opportunities for them to succeed. There are positives, no doubt. They just don't matter much when the team is 4-6-1.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:52:39 PM

It's easy to blame Thompson's poor drafts & McCarthy's coaching. But how possible is it that Rodgers is not elite anymore & just an average QB? We assume every QB that wants to play to 40 can & will be good. But Rodgers is 35. Maybe his days as an elite QB are over. Thoughts?

by jasfish11/26/2018 8:52:51 PM

Aaron Rodgers has not played at an elite level this season. I think it's premature to say he'll never play at an elite level again. This same thing happened through 2015 and the first half of 2016. Then run the table happened, and Rodgers played out of his mind. Rodgers turns 35 next month, but that's actually not very old by today's current QB standards. Drew Brees turns 40 in January. Tom Brady is already there. Aaron Rodgers should have plenty of good football ahead of him. Just because he hasn't played his best this season doesn't mean he won't again.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:54:20 PM

Ryan, Do the Packers need to sign or draft a replacement for Kevin King?

You can't make the club if your sitting in the tub.

by Paul Ott11/26/2018 8:54:34 PM

I don't think they're there yet, but he needs to show he can stay on the field. The greatest ability is availability, as they say. When healthy, Kevin King is their best cornerback. But his constant injuries have to be frustrating. You wonder if his body just can't handle the wear and tear.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:55:22 PM

Wouldn't it make sense to put a new HC under Gute? Make Gute own the results.

by Tom in TN11/26/2018 8:55:34 PM

That's pretty much the industry norm, so yes.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:55:41 PM

Let’s be honest. You only have to look at the Faces of MM and Rogers to see what’s going on. They both need a change and that’s only going to happen one way. Body language doesn’t lie.

by Rad11/26/2018 8:56:16 PM

Hard to disagree, Rad.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:56:37 PM

Does it matter that Brees and Brady don't need their legs to win games while that is not what you can say about Rodgers.

by Ralphy11/26/2018 8:56:46 PM

Oh, I don't think Aaron Rodgers needs his legs to win. His right arm is second to none. It's just that his legs can enhance his overall game. Frankly, for the time being, Rodgers would probably benefit if he was less mobile. Would force him to stay in the pocket and throw on schedule.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:57:34 PM

What is your impression of Josh Jackson thus far? He seems overmatched to these untrained eyes. If so, is that just normal rookie challenges or is he not a starting-caliber DB?

by Bruce11/26/2018 8:58:15 PM

I've always thought the game's speed might be a problem for him. I still do. There are other elements to like, like his length and strength and ball skills. But speed is everything at cornerback.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 8:58:45 PM

McCarthy is a good coach who just happened to have two great quarterbacks. Relevant? Coincidental? Would he still have the impressive long term record he has without Rodgers or Farve? Some think he is lucky and because Rodgers is not playing the way he normally does it seems the emperor has no clothes.

by Ralphy11/26/2018 8:59:46 PM

That goes both ways. Would Aaron Rodgers be Aaron Rodgers without the coaching he got from Mike McCarthy early in his career? We'll never know, because that's not reality.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 9:00:31 PM

Ryan...any reason to think that decisions by 2019 league FA’s will be at least partially based on GB’s recent downward trend and questions around Rodgers possibly fading talents?

by Lrc1311/26/2018 9:01:17 PM

No. It'll be about what it's always about: money.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 9:01:27 PM

I'll give you a break on the offense's woes and ask a question about the defense. Do you think the defense is missing an out-spoken leader to get the team fired up right now? Alexander seems to be the only one having fun out there.

by Tom11/26/2018 9:02:35 PM

I think this defense is good enough to win a Super Bowl with if you paired it with, say, the 2014 Packers offense. Or the late-2016 Packers offense. Or, obviously, the 2010 Packers offense. Crap, I made this about the offense again. So much for that break, Tom.

by Ryan Wood11/26/2018 9:03:20 PM

I think the Packers biggest problem is simply a lack of talent. Could I be Right?